Privacy Policy
The Low Carbon SMEs Programme (“Programme”) are committed to keeping any personal information you give us safe. The Programme understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. We respect and protect the privacy of everyone who receives support through the Programme, and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a way that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This policy sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.
We may change this Privacy Policy. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately.
How do we collect information?
You may give us information about you when you register and sign up to the Programme or by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise or attending one of our events. With regard to each of our visits to your site, we may automatically collect diagnostic information, which will not be deemed personal data.
What data we collect:
• Contact name
• Contact email address
• Contact phone number
• Contact job title
• Contact date of birth
• Contact gender
• Contact ethnic group
• Contact disability status
Why do we store your data
In order to verify project activity and comply with the De Minimis Regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013) and the 2016 European Union European Regional Development Fund document retention guidance, all documentation and data pertaining to the activities of the Low Carbon SMEs project (Ref:12R16P00831) are required to be held for 10 years after the last aid is granted under the state aid scheme, which in the case of the European Regional Development Fund means that all documents will need to be retained until 2033, after which time it will be destroyed.
Where do we store your data?
Your data will be securely stored onto a computer system accessed by employees of the Low Carbon SMEs Project. Paper records of your data may also be stored securely in accordance with data protection laws. We must protect the public funds we handle and so may use the information you have provided on this form for audit purposes.
We take all reasonable and appropriate steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption. We have in place procedures and electronic and physical security measures to safeguard the information you provide to us.
How will we use your data?
The details you provide on this form and subsequently provided to the Low Carbon SMEs Project will only be used in connection with services relating to the Project We use your personal information to allow us to provide business advice & support services to you.
We will use the information you supply to us to:
• Verify details where required
• Reply to your enquiry by post, email, or telephone;
• Maintain our records;
• Provide services to you;
• Keep you informed about relevant workshops and events;
• Send you information on our other Aston University services;
• Report on the number of clients using our services;
• Use anonymised data for the purposes of research and statistical monitoring;
• Undertake monitoring and project evaluation activities
Under the GDPR, you have the following rights, which the Low Carbon SMEs Programme will always work to uphold:
• The right to be informed about Low Carbon SMEs collection and use of your personal data.
• The right to request and access personal data we hold about you.
• The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of any of your personal data that we have.
• The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data.
• The right to data portability. This means that, if you have provided personal data to Low Carbon SMEs directly, we are using it with your consent or for the performance of a contract, and that data is processed using automated means, you can ask us for a copy of that personal data to re-use with another service or business in many cases.
• Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling. We do not use your personal data in this way
• The right to object to Low Carbon SMEs using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes.
